Welcome to the ‘new’ King’s Cross

3.4m square feet of commercial office space.500.000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space.45,000 new people.67 acres of mixed use development.23 new and refurbished Grade A office buildings.20 new streets.10 new public squares.1 new postcode.

Welcome to the ‘new’ King’s Cross.

Since the arrival of the railway in the early 1850s, King’s Cross has been an area afflicted by constant change. The ability to move goods around the country from a central hub boosted the capital’s economy but after the Second World War, the area declined. It was a poor but bustling industrial and distribution centre but degenerated into a partially-abandoned and derelict post-industrial area rife with poverty and the associated social injustices of drug abuse, malnutrition, a thriving black market economy and the sex trade.

By the 1980s, King’s Cross was an area with very high unemployment and high numbers of immigrants came to the area. It became notorious for prostitution and a place where drugs were never in short supply and while the reputation of the area impeded its revival, there remained disused buildings and homes, railway sidings, warehouses and contaminated land which had the potential for development.

Development plans for the area came and went but eventually, a coherent masterplan was submitted. In 2006, the London Borough of Camden granted outline planning permission for the scheme. The plans included world-class transport links throughout the UK and Europe as well hotels, restaurants and cultural centres. One focus has been on attracting blue-chip businesses alongside the associated calibre of residents and by 2016, most of the 67 acres will have been developed.

The area really has to be seen to be believed. If you have any recollection what it was like in the 80s and early 90s, you’ll be amazed! The ‘undesirable’ reputation has largely been driven out and there are an increasing number of cultural establishments making their homes in the area. Establishments including the new British Library and the newly-renovated British Museum as well as The Guardian and The Observer newspapers and perhaps ironically the UK Drug Policy Commission.

For a look at how one of London’s most extraordinary areas is taking shape, click here.

King’s Cross is rapidly becoming one of London’s most desirable areas to live and work. It’s bordered by Bloomsbury (one of London’s most celebrated literary and academic districts) and is minutes from central London and the City.

For students and those looking to come to London in short-stay apartments, Bloomsbury is perfect. It’s in the centre of London’s university district, and close to Covent Garden, Oxford Street, The British Museum, The British Library and central London’s restaurants and theatres.

For more information about our short-stay apartments in Bloomsbury, please click here.

Have you been to King’s Cross recently? Let us know what you think on Twitter@EuracomLondon or on our Facebook page.